Supporting Regenerative Agriculture
Supporting Regenerative Agriculture
For over two decades Roots, Shoots & Fruits has been supporting New Zealand farmers and growers to build healthy, living soils that are thriving with life.
Healthy soil produces robust, high-yielding crops that are more resistant to pathogens, reducing the need for large volumes of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. Decades of field trials prove that high-quality produce can be grown using biological technology while reducing the chemical impact on the environment.
Our focus on beneficial biology for plant and soil health and bio-available fertilisers that are safe for people, animals and the environment is part of our DNA. Working with nature to protect soil, improve biodiversity and maintain the balance of carbon in the atmosphere.
“Nature & nurture conspire together. One must keep both in view.” Jesse J. Prinz
Regenerative Agriculture is a practice whereby farming systems foster a thriving ecosystem approach of soils, plants, minerals, microorganisms and animals, in a self-generating productive harmonious environment where one supports the other.
AgFunderNews
When working optimally this regenerative agriculture environment can be very efficient and produce high quality outputs.
A major factor for New Zealand growers and farmers considering practising regenerative agriculture is to restore soils that have been depleted by conventional growing practices and synthetic fertilisers and pest controls. Begin to work more with nature to provide what the plants need for health, so they in turn can start to naturally resist pest and disease.
Regen Ag practices (in very broad terms) benefit the environment by not having toxic chemicals disrupt the balance of the ecosystem. They benefit animals and humans by not being exposed to said toxic chemicals. Also the planet benefits as healthier soils has more capacity to store carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in the ground. (source: climaterealityproject.org)
Soil that has more organic matter holds more water, which has myriad benefits; enabling easier nutrient transition to plants, increasing water absorption by plants and tolerating less precipitation to name a few.
Each one-percent increase in soil organic matter helps soil hold 20,000 gallons more water per acre. And heightened water holding capacity means crops are more resilient through times of drought or heavy rain. By maintaining surface residues, roots, and soil structure with better aggregation and pores, soil organic matter reduces nutrient runoff and erosion, as well.
And the healthier the soil, the healthier the crop. When plants have the nutrients and roots systems they need to thrive, they build compounds to help protect against insects and disease. There is also growing evidence that a healthy soil microbiome full of necessary bacteria, fungi, and nematodes is more likely to produce nutrient-dense food, promoting better human health.
What’s Your 2040
